Screw plate box



July 6, 1943. H. J. SMITH 2,323,574

. SCREWPLATE BOX Filed Jan. 4, 1941 Egga ZQW .2" Z a 5 /4. .2 5,44 a l F', r m

a0, IE W i 1' i/W Z 1 /u 5 z 1 4 INVENTOR, 159/1537! (Z 4527x215,

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 6, 1943 U ETE D STATES PATENT FFIQE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in screwplate boxes.

An object of this invention is to provide a screwplate box for the reception and storage of taps, dies, and their respective wrenches or holders, which is compact, simple, and sturdy in construction, and economical of manufacture.

A further object of this invention is to provide a screwplate box which supports all the objects intended to be placed :therein in plain'view and in easily accessible positions, whereby any one of the objects in the box may be immediately identified, and may be easily removed and replaced without disturbing any other object.

An important object of this invention is to provide, in a screwplate box for holding taps and dies, means for supporting and holding the taps and dies in such a position that they may be quickly and easily removed and replaced, and whereby their characteristics may be recognized at a glance, without the necessity of removing them from the box.

These, and other objects and advantages of this invention will be more clearly disclosed and described in the following specification, the accompanying drawing, and the appended claims.

Broadly, this invention comprises a covered box including *a base block provided with recesses for receiving taps, dies, a tap wrench, and a die stock, a plate covering a portion of the block and provided with spaced openings for positioning dies and taps, stepped spacer strips in certain of the recesses and cooperating with the spaced openings in the cover plate for spacing and supporting taps in an inclined position, a cover hinged on the base block, and latch means on the cover and cooperating with the cover plate for holding the cover in closed position.

A preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a plan View of the screwplate box, with the cover open,

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, but with the cover closed.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, with the cover closed,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the spacer strips shown in Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, in which ilke numerals refer to like parts throughout,

A base block I, preferably of wood, is reinforced at each end with a metallic angular member 2, to which is hinged a cover 3. A hooklatch A secured on the cover it normally pro"- jects, when the cover 3 is in closed position, through an opening 5 in a cover plate 5 which is secured on the front, upper surface of the block l. A pin 1 on the latch 4 projects through the front wall of the cover 3, as indicated in Fig; 2, and pressure on the pin 1 will release the latch l-from the opening 5 and permit the cover 3 to be raised.

The base block I is formed with several recesses in its top face, these recesses being spaced from each other and each being shaped for receiving its specific object or objects. A recess 8, near the back of the block I, is relatively long, narrow, and shallow,and is of proper shape and dimensions for receiving and holding a tap wrench on edge, as indicated at 9 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. A second recess Iil is formed in the block I, and is substantially circular in shape, and relatively shallow, with extensions 28, and serves to receive and hold in position the hub of a die stock i2, as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. The block I is also formed with a third slot or recess l3, which is relatively long, narrow, and deep, for receiving one or more dies on edge, the dimensions of the slot It being such that a die E4, placed therein on edge, will be held in that position with substantially half its diameter exposed above the'top of the block I.

The block I is also formed, near its front face I5, with parallel, longitudinal slots or grooves I6, Which extend clear across the clock I, from side to side, and are closed at each end by the members 2, as best shown'in Fig. 4. These slots I5 are covered by the cover plate 6, which is let into the surface of the top of the block l, so that the top surface of the plate 6 and the exposed top surface of the block I are flush. The cover plate 6 is provided with parallel roWs of openings which register with, or are located over the slots It in the block I. Each row of openings in the cover plate 6 includes a plurality of spaced, relatively short openings I8 and a single, relatively longer opening I9. The openings I9 serve to confine and support dies placed on edge in the slots I6, in a similar manner to the slot I3.

A metallic buttress or spacer strip 20 is secured in the bottom of each of the slots I6 below the openings I8 in the cover plate 6, as indicated in Fig. 4. The strip 28 is bent or shaped to form shoulders 2|, and the strip 26 is so placed in the slot I6 as to act as a stop for the shank ends of taps 22 which may be inserted, at an angle to the surface of the plate 6, through the openings [8. The length of the openings [8, and the spacing of the shoulders 2|, may be variable, as desired, to accommodate various sizes and lengths of taps. Thus, cooperation of the slots H5 in the block I, openings IS in the cover plate 6, and the shouldered strip 20, will support a plurality of taps of the same or various sizes, in aligned, spaced relation, with their axe at an angle to the surface of the block I and cover plate 6, and projecting sufliciently above the cover plate 6 to be readily visible and identifiable, and easily grasped for removal.

What I claim is:

1. In a tool box of the character described, a block provided with recesses for receiving tools, one of said recesses being formed as a relatively long and narrow slot, a cover plate secured on said block over said slot and provided with a plurality of spaced longitudinally aligned openings registering with said slot, and a stepped stop strip secured in the bottom of the slot and provided with inclined shoulder portions which serve as stops for the shank ends of taps inserted in said openings.

2. In a tool box of the character described, means for supporting a tap with its axis inclined to the horizontal, said means comprising a block formed with a relatively long and narrow recess, a cover plate secured on said block over said recess and provided with an opening registering with said recess, a stop strip secured in said recess and formed with an inclined shoulder portion, said shoulder portion being spaced from an end of said opening to provide a stop for the shank end of a tap partially inserted into said recess through said opening.

3. In a tool box of the character described, means for supporting a plurality of taps with their axes inclined, substantially parallel, and in the same plane, comprising a block formed with a longitudinal slot, a cover plate secured on said block over said slot and provided with a plurality of longitudinally aligned, spaced openings registering with said slot, and a metallic stop strip secured in the bottom of said slot and formed with spaced, inclined shoulder portions corresponding in spacing and number to said openings, said shoulder portions serving as buttresses for the shank ends of taps inserted in said openings, said shoulder portions being spaced from the cooperating ends of their respective openings, whereby taps may be supported in said recess in an inclined position, with their shank ends abutting said shoulders and their tap ends projecting above said plate.

4. A tool box of the character described, comprising a wooden block provided with recesses for receiving taps, dies, and the like, metallic reinforcing end members secured on opposite ends of said block, a cover member hinged on said end members and enclosing the top of said block when in closed position, and cooperating releasable means on said cover member and said block for holding said cover in closed position.

5. A screwplate box for taps, dies, and the like, comprising a base block, a cover for said base block, said base block being provided with a plurality of recesses for receiving tools, at least one of said recesses being adapted to receive a die on edge and being substantially equal to half the diameter of the die in length and depth, and at least one other of said recesses being adapted to receive a tap, a plate over said other recess provided with a slot, a stop member in said other recess and spaced from an end of said slot, whereby a tap may be supported on said plate with its shank extending into said other recess and abutting said stop with the axis of said tap angularly disposed to the surface of said plate.

6. A screwplate box comprising a base block provided with recesses for receiving and supporting, in orderly arrangement, a tap wrench, a die stock, and a plurality of taps and dies, including a long, relatively narrow recess for receiving a tap wrench on edge, a substantially circular, shallow recess for receiving the hub of a die stock, a plurality of rectangular, relatively deep recesses for receiving dies on edge with substantially half of the dies remaining exposed above the surface of said base block, and a second long, relatively narrow recess for receiving taps, a plate over said second recess and provided with two or more spaced slots registering with said recond recess, a stop member in the bottom of said second recess provided with stop abutments spaced longitudinally from the ends of said slots, whereby taps may be supported in an inclined position relative to said plat with the ends of their shanks against said stop abutments and with the greater portion of their lengths exposed above said plate, metallic reinforcing ends secured on opposite ends of said base block, and a cover hinged on said reinforcing ends and enclosing said block when in closed position.

7. In a screwplate box of the character described, a block provided with a long, narrow recess, a plate secured on said block over said recess and provided with a plurality of longitudinally aligned slots, said slots being progressively increased in length from one end of said plate, a stop strip secured in the bottom of said recess and formed with spaced inclined abutments said abutments being longitudinally spaced from said slots for cooperating with said slots to support taps in said recess with their axes inclined relative to the surface of said block and substantially parallel relative to each other.

HERBERT J. SMITH. 

